RSS 2.0 FeedSeptember 2, 2009, theSTEADY
The Goombahles at the recordBar’s Alternative Jazz series
Todd Wilkinson returns to the space that his own jazz joint, the Drum Room, used to inhabit and delivers a night of polished, original jazz compositions.
The recordBar has made a name for itself as one of the premier music venues in Kansas City, showcasing an eclectic mix of national and local rockers, folksters, and indie tastemakers. About fifteen years ago, however, the predominant sound floating out of its strip mall doors was jazz.
Jeff Harshbarger and I chat about this as the evening's featured band begins to set up. He points out the bandleader, Todd Wilkinson. Harshbarger had invited Wilkinson to return to the space that his own jazz joint, the Drum Room, used to inhabit.
"Yeah, he painted that entire ceiling. By himself," Harshbarger chuckles.
Wilkinson has a pleasant homecoming as he and his talented quintet, the Goombahles, deliver a night of polished, original jazz compositions.
While the Alternative Jazz series gets a kick out of experimental, improvisational jazz that quite possibly might freak you out, its main purpose is to provide a platform and outlet for modern jazz musicians and composers to showcase their new, original work. New work that fits within the traditional mode of jazz is included among the more edgy stuff.
The Goombahles, who bill themselves as "purveyors of mildly disreputable jazz" fit within the more traditional framework and actually assess themselves quite accurately. They're gritty enough to roll up their sleeves from time to time but mainly stick to executing the slick, melodic arrangements of their original work.
They open with "Stumbling," a smooth blues-inflected jazz number that evokes a welcome touch on a first date. It warms up the small crowd, which is a mixture of veteran jazz lovers and young enthusiasts. The performance sets the tone for the evening:
Todd Wilkinson (saxophone) is a democratic band leader who usually controls the melody but affords each of his players ample time to show their craft in well-placed, tasteful solos that are neither laborious nor self-indulgent.
The ensemble itself is tight and loaded with stellar local talent such as Matt and Ben Leifer (drums and bass respectively), Matt Hopper (guitar), and T.J. Martley (keyboard). The musicianship on display is impressive but the early portion of the set suffers from too much easy-going breeziness.
Aside from a few dexterous bass and drum solos where the Leifers threaten to break rank into jazz odyssey territory, the first few songs begin to blend together. Even though "Homage to Evans," a piece inspired by Bill Evan's "Blue in Green," is relaxing and romantic, the room begins to settle into a lukewarm temperature.
Fortunately, the band senses this and springs the Rocky and Bullwinkle-themed "Moose and Squirrel" on the room. The song is spry and playful, with a sense of excitement and anticipation. There's even a hint of danger as the band dances through the piece with a spirit of boldness and adventure.
The room begins to fill just at the right time. The Goombahles are at their best on funkier, up-tempo numbers like "Metro-morphosis," the danceworthy "Curse of the Dock People," and the quirky and cheeky "Flock of Beagles."
Their quieter moments are well-executed, particularly "Patricia," a pretty ballad that Wilkinson wrote for his wife. A cover of Victor Young's "Stella by Starlight" doesn't disappoint either. But despite some fine melodic interpretation, the songs just don't showcase the off-the-wall energy that the Goombahles can summon up during their upbeat numbers.
Wilkinson tells a story about a song he wrote for Dizzy Gillespie while he was in Australia in 1989 and the band erupts into rollicking blend of jazz, blues and rock. Wilkinson goes on a tear, taking his saxophone on joyous runs. Leifer provides funky bass lines and Hopper even gets to shred a bit during his guitar solo.
The Goombahles can play sweet songs gorgeously but as "purveyors of mildly disreputable jazz," I think they should be encouraged to lose the "mildly" bit and go ahead and sully up that reputation. Jazz fans are delighted when things get a little dirty.
Review:
Jeff Harshbarger presents
An Alternative Jazz series:
The Goombahles
Sunday, August 30, 2009
recordBar
1020 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO
www.toddwilkinson.net or www.therecordbar.com
All material contained in KCMetropolis.org is the property of or licensed for use by KCMetropolis.org. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express written permission of KCMetropolis.org or the original copyright holders.